Text, Folio 134 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Byzantine icon painting Classical Antiquity Religious

Dominant colour

Text, Folio 134 (verso), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra) is a 14 unspecified by Unknown, a Byzantine icon painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 14 · Byzantine icon painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This is a long, narrow wooden board covered in tiny, precise black lines and dots. The lines form neat columns of text, like pages from an old book. Two small white circles sit near the top, and the wood shows signs of age. The text is part of a Buddhist scripture, written in an old style of writing. It’s not a painting but a piece of ancient writing—like a snapshot of history. If you’re curious about where to see more like this, check out The Cleveland Museum of Art.